I had a medical scare two weeks ago that shook me up quite a bit. No, not because there was anything wrong with me, but because if I had been someone else and didn’t know what I know, I might be suffering the side effects of blood pressure meds as I write this today. And that’s a slippery slope I never want to ride. Yet this scenario plays out in most doctors’ offices every day.
I had a slight skin thingy on my always-in-the-sun arm. I thought it might be prudent to get it checked out, and I had an hour before my next meeting, so I took an impromptu opening in my doctor’s schedule to have him take a look. In my naïveté, I thought I could waltz in, have him scan it for 15 seconds and send me home with a clean bill of health and a xylitol lollipop. But this being LA and that being a doctor’s office and needing to follow protocol (so as not to get sued for malpractice AND to be able to bill me full pop), the nurse ushered me into a waiting room and took my weight (still 165), height (still 5’10”) and my blood pressure, which I had no reason to suspect had changed since I qualified for the lowest rates possible on my in-home life insurance physical just a few years ago. It had been 122/82 that day. Cha ching.
Imagine, then, my mortification when the nurse casually announced that my BP was 140/100.
Read MoreSwine flu. Even the hype surrounding it is pandemic. It’s made headlines in every major newspaper and magazine. The CDC has a new press release every half hour. TV talking heads and radio pundits furrow their brows and express extreme consternation as they tell us to start “bracing for the worst.” President Obama has asked for another billion-and–a-half dollars (that we don’t have) to fend off this impending menace. Frightened school boards are halting classes everywhere until they are given a better action plan. Cruises are cancelled, trips are postponed, pigs are slaughtered, nations are blamed. It’s crazy.
I’m sorry. At this point, I’m not buying it.
Read MoreSo, you’re 56 – or 36. Maybe 27 or 42. Perhaps 68. (You get the idea.) Your driver’s license says it all (whether you want it to or not). But the buzz lately says there’s age and then there’s “Real Age.” Yes, your kitchen cabinets, weight set, medicine cabinet, diploma, car, even your speed dial apparently tell the real story your driver’s license (or dear mother) can’t.
The real story here is your “real” biological age as supposedly determined by your responses to approximately 150 questions. They run the gamut – from exercise routine to driving habits to nutrition to stress factors. At the end of the quiz, you receive a number as well as a rundown of practices that added to or reduced your biological age. According to the site, the quiz was based on “125 different factors that can influence the rate of aging” as determined by review of 25,000 medical studies. Some 27 million people have taken the quiz.
Read MorePoliticians of all stripes are discussing it. Millions of Americans are losing sleep over it, particularly those who have lost their health plans in recent layoffs or workplace cutbacks. Every day we read more news about the state and debate of health care in this country. People are delaying recommended tests or important procedures – sometimes with dangerous and/or costly consequences. Because of rising costs, employers are less likely to offer health coverage. All the while, individual plans are out of reach for many working people. For those who find themselves unemployed, COBRA plans can likewise seem unaffordable.
Read MoreDear Mark,
Could you write an article on blood “markers” (cholesterols, triglycerides, blood sugar and … C-reactive protein)??? What are they? How can they be monitored and managed? Thanks mucho! Can’t wait for your book.
Thanks to Rob for the question today. Blood markers are essentially detectable and measurable substances in the blood. Their interpretations are based on the levels found and their correlations with disease or other health concerns the medical/research community has assigned to these substances. A blood workup can vary and run into the hundreds of markers, but (for today at least) let me focus on the key categories Rob mentioned.
Read MoreIn yet another display of their unlimited zeal for the treatment (not prevention, mind you) of mysterious and “murky” illnesses (usually, believe it or not, with the aid of expensive pills), pharmaceutical companies last year spent hundreds of millions of dollars (including $6 million in grants to “non profit” medical conferences and “education campaigns”) to establish the controversial fibromyalgia as a legitimate, serious illness requiring the kind of treatment only Big Pharma could possibly provide. On the surface, this seems like a relatively selfless act of goodwill and honest research – just a couple of multinational pharmaceutical companies tossing their money around and savin’ lives… right?
Read MoreYou’ve probably noticed that we like to revisit subjects, no matter how exhaustive our prior analysis may have appeared. We do this for two reasons – to foster a running dialogue on a constantly evolving idea; and to make sure the Primal Blueprint remains supported by hard science.
Mark has always talked about his affection for the beach sprint (or any type of sprint) as a quick, intense, effective cardio workout in line with the type of daily activities Grok performed. He’s also conveyed his unease with our increasing reliance on Big Pharma for our health and wellness needs. Today’s post deals with two recent studies of particular interest and relevance to these topics. We found them quite interesting, and we think our readers might too.
Read MoreSometimes I just think the world is collapsing under the weight of its own complexity. My water bill last month was twice its usual already-outrageous amount. Since we hadn’t (to my knowledge) taken any more showers than normal, I figured there had to be a leak somewhere. Duh, right? I did a cursory review of all toilets and faucets in the house. Nothing. I had my gardeners check out the landscape irrigation system. Nothing. So I called my plumber/golf buddy Ted who said he had a guy who did leak detection and this guy was the best there is. Twenty years in the business and that’s all he does. Leaks. So I told Ted to send him on over, because this hydro-hemorhhage was mounting up fast.
Twenty minutes later the guy shows up and immediately starts diagnosing. He turns off the main valve at the house and sees that the meter wheel stops spinning, so he figures since it’s not between the meter and the house, it has to be inside the house. That’s bad.
Read MoreLast month we brought you news (and humble perspective) on the pharmaceutical industry’s off-label marketing practices. Just a couple weeks after the fact, what before our wondering eyes should appear? News that a glaucoma drug (Lumigan) was just approved by the FDA for off-label use as an eyelash enhancer. Call us suckers, we know, but we couldn’t resist taking the bite. Finding new uses for existing poor selling drugs has become a cottage industry. Reminds me of the old SNL skit, “Shimmer. It’s a dessert topping AND a floor wax!”
Read MoreDear Mark,
I’ve been a faithful reader of your blog for a couple of months now since Tony Horton turned me on to it at one of his fitness camps. Anyway, the reason I am writing today is to refer you to an article about some scientists who are proposing “cognitive enhancing drugs” for healthy people. I had to check the dateline to make sure it wasn’t recycled from April 1st. I’m sure you’ll be interested in it and I’m sure your readers would enjoy your commentary on it:
Scientists Back Brain Drugs for Healthy People
Thanks to reader Dave for forwarding the article. A number of people I know actually sent me the news with various questions and comments of their own. It’s made for a lot of interesting conversations, shall we say, in the last several days.
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